The Los Angeles Lakers’ struggles after the In-Season Tournament have made it increasingly clear that changes might be necessary. Teams that are in contention, like the Lakers, should constantly strive to get better, and the past few weeks have shown that LA still needs to put in more work.
In an already overt message to the front office, LeBron James has made it clear that this team is not good enough to compete with the best of the best. The Lakers’ front office might have to give in to any possible pressure from James if they hope to take advantage of LeBron’s closing title window.
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The Lakers’ big swing at the trade deadline was led by Dejounte Murray.
The Hawks are out of contention, and the Trae Young-Murray combo hasn’t produced any results at all. The Hawks had hoped that the two guards would gel well together, but it may be time for Atlanta to cut losses now before things get too bad.
Despite his lackluster performance in Atlanta, Murray remains a highly skilled two-way player with an excellent contract, making him a costly trade target. Murray has a deal that doesn’t go over $30 million until the final year and is valid for four more years (the fourth is a player option). This is a great deal, especially considering the cap is still growing.
Even if the Lakers were serious about trading for Murray, so what? Even so, what might a package look like? Before distributing the grades for both teams, let’s take a closer look at the package.
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